One man's journey to live out a childhood dream of attending Phillies Phantasy Camp… and to honor the memory of his beloved father.

10/24/10 – “…and in The End”, NLCS Game Six

In late June and early July, I realized that there would be a strong possibility that the Phillies may not make an appearance in their third straight World Series. As disappointing as this prospect was, I was totally fine with it. I had already experienced a lifetime’s worth of sports-related happiness in the previous three seasons with the Phillies. Not many teams in the history of professional baseball had accomplished what the Phils had done in this time frame. I was not going to complain about one off year. I’ve already been through a plethora of “off” years. It happens to the best of every team.

The last three weeks of the regular season in September however, completely wiped clean all the shortcomings the team had gone through, from numerous injuries to a season-long offensive funk. In that short amount of time, the team went on a fantastic hot streak. Coupled with various degrees of cold snaps by every other playoff-contending team, most importantly by their division rival, the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies not only won the NL East, but ended with the best record in all the Major Leagues, something they have never done in their franchise history. To be honest, I still could not believe everything that was going on. As pleased as I was, I was not completely convinced that this team was that good. Even before the first pitch of the playoffs, the Phillies ended on top of every pundit’s “power rankings”. Every blogger/writer, TV expert, etc., practically handed the World Championship trophy to Philadelphia.

Roy Halladay’s no-hitter in the first game of the NLDS against the Reds completely reversed my thinking. This team WAS the real deal. Selfishly, I thought that they were now going to win it all to bring everything that I went through in the past year full circle. The end of the ’09 season ended on the lowest of lows. The ’10 will end on the highest of highs. And while the offense performed as it had for the entire season, the pitching prevailed and easily handed Cincinnati a quick baseball death.

Unfortunately, Doc could not repeat. He lost the first game of the NLCS against the San Francisco Giants. I immediately retreated to the bedroom. The world no longer made sense to me. There was no conceivable way that loss had just occurred. My fairy tale ending had just had an unwanted and unpleasant plot twist thrown into the story. If the Phillies did not come away from this postseason with anything less than a ring, I honestly did not know what I would do.

Life however, is not a fairy tale. Neither are sports. For every dramatic walk-off World Series-winning home run, there is a fan base who, for the unforeseeable future, will be in utter disbelief, slowly shaking their heads, possibly wiping away tears of agony. In 2001, the Yankees were destined to win the World Series. In the shadow of 9/11, baseball’s most storied franchise had overcome a national tragedy (and late inning deficits) to dramatically bring the Fall Classic to a Game Seven. The ending was written.

That ending did not happen.

The Rock of Gibraltar that is Mariano Rivera did the unthinkable. He blew a save and the Yankees lost. That to me, is what makes baseball the most humbling and beautiful of sports. A team can only win 60% of it’s games and still be the best in the Majors. A player is considered a very good hitter if he succeeds only 30% of the time. Disappointment and failure are a daily occurrence in baseball. Anything can happen, good or bad, at any time during a baseball game. This is why sports, especially baseball, resonates with millions of individuals. These are just games. It’s pure entertainment. But unlike an album, movie, book or TV show where we can lose ourselves in what’s being presented to us, sports add another element: pride. Your team works towards a goal that will bring the ultimate joy to a town and a legion of fans. Yet we all know there needs to be sacrifice. There will be amazing highs and devastating lows. It’s inevitable. The reward for loyalty? Something you cannot put a price on.

When Ryan Howard got caught looking on a 3-2 cutter from Giants reliever Brian Wilson to end Game Six of the NLCS, and the Phillies 2010 season, all I could do was give a tiny shake of the head and flash a little grimace. The atmosphere of 45,000 screaming fans and a sea of white rally towels did not make this fairy tale end the way it should have for me or the rest of the Phaithful. But unlike Halladay’s loss in Game One, I immediately took this result in stride. Like you would in any negative situation in life, you brush yourself off and tell yourself, in a matter of words, “there is always next season”.

Thank you Phillies for a very memorable 2010 season. Much love…

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2 Comments

Hi Bryan,
I asked Kara to send me the link to your blog. It’s FANTASTIC! It really captures what an emotional game baseball can be. I love the bond it formed between you and your dad. I have a similar bond with my brother–we try to go to a game together at least once a season. It’s the only time I really get to see him without nieces, nephews or in-laws around. When we go to a ballgame together we both say we always feel like we’re 14 years old again. : )

I was thinking about you while watching Game Six of the NLCS. I knew you and Kara were there, and it reminded me so much of the Game Seven NLCS with the Mets/Cardinals in ’06. Same bottom of the 9th. Same tying and winning runs on base. Same home team fans waving those damn white hankies (I personally think they are bad luck.) Same team big hitter at the plate (for the Mets it was Carlos Beltran) and same sad ending–struck out looking.

That was the Mets game where Endy Chavez made that amazing, leaping over the wall catch to turn a Cardinals two-run hr into a double play. I thought NO WAY WE LOSE THIS GAME! But the baseball gods had other ideas that day.

As I said to Kara, it’s still a great time to be a Phillies fan. I’m envious, the Mets are still in shambles and you have a terrific team.

Thanks Lisa! That particular Mets game absolutely is another perfect example. I remember watching that game, seeing former Phillie (haha) Endy make, quite possibly, one of the greatest plays ever, then thinking the same thing as you… there is NO way they are losing. Like the Phillies, the Mets fan base know exactly what’s it like to experience the extremes of baseball fandom… the ’69 Miracles, the entire ’86 postseason, Piazza’s game-winning home run in the first home game since 9/11… then all the heartbreaking losses, long periods of ineptitude and underachievement. Obviously I’m not a Mets fan, but I have the utmost respect for Mets fans, because I know exactly what they are going through. Through it all, they stick with them, just as any respectful baseball fan should.

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About

Originally hailing from Wilmington, DE, Bryan has been a lifelong fan of the Philadelphia Phillies ever since that fateful day in 1982 when his dad bought him his very first pack of baseball cards. Inside? An All-Star card for Mike Schmidt.

Since 2001, Bryan has been living in New York City, exploring all his varied interests... photography, writing and performing music, and blogging about his Phillies.

On the morning before Game 6 of the 2009 World Series, Bryan's father passed away. This tragic event inspired Bryan to live out one of his childhood dreams of attending Phillies Phantasy Camp. Through his writing and photography, Bryan is now chronicling this experience, and at the same time, honoring the man who brought the wonderful game of baseball and most importantly, the Phillies, into his life.

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